Reminiscing 2006

The year 2006 I can say has been a very good year for me.Looking back, I could not help but be grateful for all the beautiful and painful things that has happened - the lessons I learned the hard way, the wonderful people I met, reunited with friends,relationships formed and the feelings I felt, were just amazing and were all worth to be remembered.On this entry, I wanted to tell how my year has been.

During the first quarter of the year, I felt discouraged, burned out and unmotivated with the work that I was doing.Technically,I was already promoted to a higher position .But I was not happy.Our team was tasked to answer difficult and stressful calls.We were being placed in another split where calls were surging.Overtime became required.Sure were no longer called regular agents, but what's the difference anyway?We received the same salary as regular reps.Our position is not being recognized by the management.There were no perks of being "promoted" at all.Not that we were simply whining because we dont get what we want.Don't get me wrong. Most of my teammates were already tenured and senior agents and have waited so long to be promoted.We all wished we were never promoted at all.

There were issues about our salary and our position which was not being recognized that time.There was I time, if I remembered it correctly that half of the team submitted their resignation letters just for the management to see how dissatisfied they were with how the things were going.Would you also believe that there was also a time that we all planned to log out and stop taking calls because we no longer can take the ugly treatment of the management.

Cliche as it may sound, changes are really inevitable.Major changes happened when the team was assigned to Senior TC Daniel Mercado.I am totally loss for words to describe how TC Daniel brought a lot of changes to our team.He showed us an awesome management and leadership skills.He made sure that the upper management was made aware about the team's issues.He coordinated with the team and the management and find ways to resolve these issues.He executed things as planned.These things benefited us big time.From the work responsibilities ,to our positions, to our salary.He was really a big blessing to us.Above all things, I was really grateful that there was a person who finally listened to our grievances.At the back of my mind I can still hear him say,"Make the customer happy!","Sell your sincerity!""If the customer ask, then say,Daniel said so."I so miss those days.

Now that my dear team captain has resigned already, I felt that the company lost a great leader.I am not looking at him just as a leader but as a friend or brother because he has been like that to all of us.I know there are greater things in store for great person like TC Daniel.I can only wish him good luck for all the great things that is yet to happen.
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Because of what TC has done, I stayed with the company.No more passing of resignation letter either from me or my teammates.We were all happy with what happened.I still continued taking stressful calls and still look forward of going to work every night.I recognized the value of my teammates and some friends from the office.I know that things can get tough sometimes but what makes every thing easy is that I was being surrounded by people with good soul and aura that made me feel motivated.I am glad I have friends who never get tired of listening to my rants.

This was also the time that I vowed never to enter another serious relationship.I became cynical and I felt like I became numb which it comes to romantic relationship.Probably because I was not able to meet a person who was able to knock me off my feet.There were few encounter but they just ended up either a one night stand or simply an acquiantance.The old hopeless romantic and idealistic in me also started to vanish.So in my love department for the year 2006, there's really nothing to be told.Moving on.

The second quarter of the year was the time when I went out a lot - beaches, night out and parties.I went to Puerto Galera for the first time with Meg and some friends.I really enjoyed it and I am planning to go back this summer.I also had a reunion with some college friends.I had the chance to catch up with what happened to them after we graduated two years ago.I also revealed something to them which I know they were longing to ask me but don't have the courage to do so.I am just so glad that their response to that was very positive.I am going to reveal that in my blog but not now because that deserves another entry.

I also remember that this was the time that I applied for a higher position but unfortunately,booted out.I felt discouraged on that time but looking on the brighter end, I felt that my worth as a person cannot be measured just because I failed to get into a career that I wanted.I know I did my best but like the song said, it was not good enough.

Another not so good thing that happened was when my bestfriend sarah got pregnant and got into a big fight with another friend.After she broke up with a boyfriend of seven years, she dated this new guy in office and we , her friends,were the last one to know that she was already pregnant.We were living in just apartment but she did not confided to us what her problem was.She tried to solve it on her own.She probably thought that getting another boyfriend was the solution to her problem but it was not.She also became careless of her actions so she got pregnant.

I did try to understand where she was coming from since that's what she needed during that time is a friend and someone who could understand her.I tried to give her pieces of advice and told her that what is important now is the future of her child.She decided to moved out from the apartment and lived with her boyfriend.She left us,her friends hanging and never informed us about her plans.I know she did not do anything wrong but she became cold after that.We no longer talk in the office.Whenever she sees me, its as if I am not existing.It was really hard.I know I am not a perfect friend but I did my best to patch things up with sarah.I sent her an SMS saying that I was happy with her decision and she still have me as her friend.I am just so glad that the boyfriend was man enough to face his responsibilities for the child.Sarah and I are talking now and in good terms.

The third quarter of the year was checkered with both pain and happy moments.My adopted niece, Sophia, celebrated her first birthday.I am just happy that being his Tito and Ninong, I am able to see how she grows and became a part of preparing her good future.I am really getting old.

In August, our company went on an outing to Subic, to celebrate the good results of our customer satisfaction drive.I also became one of the Top Agents for the month.I was recognized and an incentive has been added to my payslip.In the middle of these happy moments,a bad news came.My Team Captain tendered his resignation for reasons that until now I don't understand.It was a big loss for all of us.For one thing he has been a father and a friend,and for another I know that there's a lot of opportunites for him knowing that he is doing a great job for the company.The unexpectedness of that event made me realize that good things never really last.

During the last quarter of the year, I was able to finally see my Idol Regine Velasquez performed live in the big dome.She actually grew up in the town I am living right now.I was also glad that for the first time, I was able to treat my sister for a concert out of the money I worked for.I was able to fulfill my dreams somehow-to see the Asia's songbird and to make my sister happy.

This was also the time that I became so concious of myself.I am talking about my physical appearance.I tried to gain weight and achieved it.I went to a dentist and began wearing orthodontic braces.I went on a regular diamond peeling session.I also bought a digital camera and took pictures of myself.That's how far vanity took me. On an added note,when our company held a party at Timog on the first week of November, I also took that as a chance to show my officemates how fashionable I can get.With the help of my friend Carlo,I was able to prove to them that I also have fashion sense and I am so glad they recognized it.

I was also able to see my friends from my first job (Vertex).It's really a great feeling seeing them after three years.No one can really replace our old friends, they are the best ones.
This was also the time that I finally met my great friend Joms.We have been online friends since 2002 and I am just so happy that I finally see him.I really enjoyed that long walk I spent with him around Makati business center .

Our team also won second place for the best decoration during our Christmas Theme Day.And guess who conceptualized and designed our team station?It was me.I am so glad we won (there's a cash prize for it) and my artistic talent was appreciated by my teammates.Wohoo.

Before I turned a year older and the year 2006 ends, there were a lot of things that actually lingered in my mind.I started to come out with a lot of plans for my career, for my future.I actually asked for a leave of absence and reasoned out that I will be going to school.Yes, I did enrol for a short term course in some IT school, but I also want some time to rest and think what should be done with my life.I want to find myself and see where my dreams will take me.Honestly have a lot of dreams to fulfill, not just for myself but for my mom and for my family.

I know I no longer make sense as usual but I just wanted to share to you how my year has been.So there,I will say it again, the year 2006 has been really wonderful.I know that this year will be as colorful as the previous year was.I am looking forward for a great 2007.=)